


A pleasant surprise

by smol_british_fangirl



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Autistic Caleb Widogast, Caleb Widogast Deserves Nice Things, Fluff, Gifts, M/M, Pining, pre slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:08:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22776178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smol_british_fangirl/pseuds/smol_british_fangirl
Summary: Caduceus has been watching Caleb as he contemplates buying a new scarf from a merchant they pass on the road, he also watches him put the scarf back when he realises he can’t afford it.So he decides it’s a good time to spend some gold and treat the wizard he may or may not have a desperate crush on.(It’s just fluff of Cad giving Caleb a scarf cause I wanted some fluff)
Relationships: Caduceus Clay/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 6
Kudos: 236





	A pleasant surprise

“Cadueceus, cad!” Cadueceus jumps as jesters call snatches his attention. “Take your Eyes off Caleb for a minute and help me pick a poncho. Pink with purple zig zags or, your not even listening are you?” She’s right he isn’t really listening, he’s watching Caleb and he has been for a while.

In a similar way to when they’d bought nugget, sprinkle and professor Thaddeus they’d come across a traveling wool merchant just after packing up the nights camp. Of course this meant hailing the cart over and stopping any ideas of travelling in their tracks whilst all the merchant’s wares were thoroughly inspected. 

Jester has been sorting through the wide variety of shoulder capes available and is now trying to get the groups verdict as she has been torn between two. Caduceus is vaguely aware that Nott has been perusing the hats, beau trying to convince yasha to buy a cropped vest and fjord is sat on a rock a couple feet away. After helping jester for a bit his focus shifted to the quite endearing sight of Caleb fussing over a single orange scarf made from a wool that gave it a sort of fluffy texture. He’s spent a good half hour with it just running his fingers through the shaggy tufts, you wouldn’t be able to tell it in his face if you didnt know him as there’s not much more than a slight smile but Cadueceus can tell that hes utterly in love with the thing by the way his foot is tapping almost franticly. 

What he doesn’t understand is when Caleb sighs sadly and puts in back on the kart and begins to walk over to where fjord is with sagging shoulders. It’s not like he wouldn’t use it, he’s actually in need of a new scarf after his last one had been broken beyond repair after an unfortunate run in with nugget. So with curiously nagging at him Cadueceus approaches Him as he’s walking past 

“Mr Caleb, are you not in the market to make a purchase today?” Caleb is a little startled by Cadueceus’ voice and stops walking as he reaches Cadueceus spot by the carts horses.

“Was?” He pauses a second before a glance back at the kart answers his question before Cadueceus can elaborate. “Oh, no,” theres another pause and Calebs gaze drops to his dust covered boots. “Well I would like to, I just, it is a little out of my budget at the moment.” 

Caduceus mouth forms a little oh, now recalling Caleb spending the last of his gold on two diamonds to put into the groups collective stash, even forgoing getting some spare insense to summon frumpkin if anything happened to him. It had been very good thing for the group, they’d had a couple very close calls before they managed to make a stop at the wealthy mining town to restock. It hadn’t been the best thing for Caleb though, since they’d left frumpkin had had an ‘fatal’ encounter a badger an he now has no insense to get him back. 

“Oh, I’m very sorry to hear that. Do you want me to lend you some gold? I’ve got quite a bit to spare at the moment.” As soon as the offer leaves caduceus mouth Caleb is already shaking his head. 

“No, no it is ok. There will be other scarfs, it’s very kind of you to often but no thank you.” Cadueceus sighs, he can tell by the Badly masked melancholy Tone to his voice it’s not really Cadueceus that he’s telling this to.  
He nods and gives Caleb a soft smile before stepping out of his path.

“Well I’ll make sure you get one of those scarfs when they come around.” Caleb graces him with a sad smile and a nod that is so small it can barely be called that in reply and then makes his way over to fjords rock and pulls out his spell book to reread for the thousandth time. Caduceus knows it’s something he does to calm down, the familiar words almost always seem to help ease the tension from his shoulders.

He can’t have this. He really can’t bare the sight of Caleb biting his slightly trembling lip as he reads. Caleb deserves nice things even though he often try’s to debate this, he really truly does. 

So Cadueceus is going to surprise him with this nice thing and hopefully in return he’ll get to see the gorgeous smile Caleb dons when he finds a bookshop in an unfamiliar town or when he finds a flower tucked in his hair as Nott and jester scurry away from him giggling. The unexpected smile that is accompanied by his brow raised in pleasant surprise. Hopefully the smile that he’ll use when Cadueceus gives him this scarf without him asking for it. Caduceus hopes so because it is such a gorgeous smile. 

*** 

Five gold is a little much for a scarf beau tells him as he’s tucking the scarf now wrapped in brown parchments he’d requested into his pack. He doesn’t mind though, jester doesn’t seem to either when they’re sat next to one another at the front of the kart; she says it’s very romantic in a voice just a bit too loud but luckily Caleb is taking a nap in notts lap and can’t hear. Nott even thanks him for buying it when they take a break by a small brook to allow the horses to have a quick break, jester must have told her about his gift for her boy; she insists he’ll love it and give Cadueceus a brief hug before rushing back to her spot beside a still very down trodden looking Caleb. 

It’s not till early evening that Cadueceus finally gets the moment alone he’s been waiting for. Jester tags out with Caleb to sit at the front of the kart when she starts falling asleep periodically against Cadueceus side and gives caduceus a small grin and a knowing wink as she climbs over the back of the seat.

He waits a little while till everyone is settled once more before asking Caleb if he can hold the reins for a moment and then leaning to reach for his pack that has been squishy his feet all day as he’s wanted it near by for when his moment came around. 

“I got you a little something. It’s a gift so there’s no need to repay me.” Caduceus explains as he places the small package in Caleb’s lap and gentle pulls the reins from him. Caleb stares down at the package for a moment with a slight confusion, then up to Cadueceus’ smiling face. Caduceus doesn’t say anything, just smiles a little wider for a moment to try to reassure his favourite wizard before turning his attention back to the road. 

Caleb seems understands the gesture, he doesn’t smile back yet but turns back to the package in his lap and starts to unwrap it with much more care than is needed for what it is. Though he doesn’t know what it is so it’s ok to be a little overly careful.

Caduceus doesn’t actually see the exact moment when Caleb uncovers the scarf but he does hear the little gasp and he feels a warmth spread through his chest as his soft smile turns into a dopey grin.

When he looks back at Caleb and sees him just staring at the scarf with no readable expression for a moment the feeling wanes as he worries it was the wrong thing to do. Until Caleb runs a hand over the scarf and his stony expression is immediately broken. His eyes widen and he pulls his bottom lip into his mouth, trying to stop the smile trying to spread wider than Cadueceus’. His leg starts to bounce and soon the hand not stroking the scarf is matching it’s rhythm, Patting against his knee.

“Cadueceus, this, I don’t quite know what to say.” Caleb says so softly Cadueceus feels as if he may be melting. “This is, it’s too much...” he’d only now managed to pull his gaze from the fluffy bundle in his lap when caduceus meets his gaze with one suddenly quiet stern and the words he had been trying to say escape him. This is not an expression he associates with Cadueceus.

“Mr Caleb as I said, it’s a gift and I was told it’s quite rude not to accept a gift, especially when you deserve it as much as you do.” Happy with caleb’s silence he lets his gentle smile return. “I hope you like it.” 

He turns his attention back to the road and doesn’t push Caleb for anything more, knowing it’s probably best to just leave him to himself until he’s ready. 

It only takes about five minutes before Caleb breaks the silence with a remark that makes The warmth in Cadueceus chest flare up like it’s been doused in oil. 

“It feels like frumpkin.” Caduceus turns to look at him for a second and oh by the wild mother this man is going to turn him to mush, Caleb is smiling, a gentle smile almost as soft as the scarf itself and a smile that could persuade caduceus to buy the worlds entire stock of scarfs. “It’s extremely comforting. Thank you herr Clay.” Caleb says after a short pause, Caduceus looks like an utter fool and he knows it as he smiles so wide it’s sure to split his cheeks but he can’t be bothered to care. 

“Your welcome mr Caleb.” He manages to say with a little difficulty as he has to fit the words out of his unbreakable grin. He doesn’t say anything more; half because he’s unsure if he can without his weak composure shattering completely and half because he knows that there are no more words necessary, words can often just make a mess of things and with Caleb looking so content he might just start purring as he buries his face in the shock of orange wool wrapped around his neck, Caduceus definitely doesn’t want to make a mess of things. 

They don’t speak again till they make camp that evening, even then it’s not much but neither of them are men of many words. Anyway Caduceus doesn’t mind at all, he’s a little too lost in reliving the memories of Calebs smiles as he tries to commit them to memory. He wants this to be a day he can always remember, there may be many more days like it to come but even if there are he knows that he’ll never forget today. 

And across the campfire still tucked into his new scarf, Caleb knows that he won’t either.


End file.
